Friday, April 20, 2012

Coffee and Cover Art

Well, it is refreshing to have lost sleep on my own terms, rather than because of worry about my sick kitty. Yesterday, I was tinkering with the mockup cover of THE SERPENT IN THE STONE for my publisher. I do this for each book, to give them an idea what I'm looking for on the cover. My cover designer, Kim Mendoza, has been awesome. I'm hoping I can get her for the covers in The Gifted Series, as she has done such a great job on the first two books in The Elemental Series.

Publishers can't always get you the exact image you're looking for on your book cover, but in my experience, The Wild Rose Press is particularly accommodating with cover art feedback. What they choose in the end is still the final say (which is as it should be, because they do it professionally, and they know how to package a book to its best advantage), but they provide you a form with your contract that lets you tell them all about the people, places, and things in your novel. I'm artistically inclined, so I find it easier to "show" them what I'm looking for, as far as subject, layout and tone. And Kim one-ups me every time. (Kim, you are awesome. I will say it again and again.)

So I am happy with my mockup, but I know I'll be happier still when I see what The Wild Rose Press cooks up for my next cover. But all this searching for images and knocking together the cover mockup really just means I need a good cup of coffee. :)

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NEW FROM NICKI

About Me

Nicki Greenwood graduated SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Natural
Resources, which of course has nothing to do with writing novels. She
has also worked in a bakery, an insurance agency, a flower shop, and a
doctor's office, which have nothing to do with writing, either. She did
spend an awesome two years as an assistant editor for a publisher, and
now does freelance editing on the side. Nicki still holds down a day
job, which manages to get her out of the house once in a while. Since
2010, she has written eight novels, including the award-winning Gifted
Series.

Nicki lives in upstate New York with her husband, son, and assorted
pets. If you can't find her at her computer, you can always try the
local Renaissance Faire.

The Critter List

Red Admiral Butterfly on Common DandelionPhoto (c) Nicki Greenwood. May not be used without express written permission.

About The Critter List

Nicki lives in a suburban neighborhood in Upstate NY. She enjoys creating habitat for wildlife of all kinds, especially birds and pollinators. Below is a list of species confirmed either by visual ID, or in the case of birds, occasionally their songs. This list is proof that if you do away with pesticides, even a residential area can be full of wildlife for you and your family to enjoy!

The Critter List

American Crow

American Goldfinch

American Robin

Barred Owl

Black-Capped Chickadee

Blue Jay

Cabbage White Butterfly

Canada Goose

Carpenter Bee

Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk Dragonfly

Citrine Forktail Damselfly

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Common Grackle

Cricket

Dark-Eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Eastern Gray Squirrel

European Starling

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

Gray Catbird

Great Blue Heron

Groundhog

Honeybee

House Finch

House Sparrow

Mallard

Monarch Butterfly

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Pileated Woodpecker

Potter Wasp

Question Mark Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Song Sparrow

Turkey Vulture

Indoor Plants List

Compact Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Compacta')Photo (c) Nicki Greenwood. May not be used without express written permission.

About the Indoor Plants List

Did you know the air quality inside your home is worse than the air outside? In addition to carbon dioxide, there are toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene off-gassing into your home from the many fixtures and finishes inside it. What can you do?

Add plants! Indoor plants act like living filters, removing toxins from the air. In return for a little TLC, they provide better air quality, reduce stress, improve health and sleep, and give you something fresh and green to look at when it's snowy or stormy outside. Here are some of the hardy specimens Nicki has grown in her home. The require little more than occasional watering and proper lighting. (A quick Internet search will help you care for these plants in your own home.)